Skillfull-influenced casino games and gaming machines configured to provide progrssive and/or promotional leaderboards

Abstract

A wager-based electronic gaming device (EGD) may be configured to execute a skill-influenced and wager-based game on the EGD. For each of a plurality of players of the skill-influenced and wager-based game, the EGD may accept money from the player and establish an account balance using the received money; enable game play and wagers in the skill-influenced and wager-based game using the account balance. The performance of the player may be scored at an end of the game. A leaderboard on an app on an electronic device of the player may then be updated with an identifier of the player when the scored player's performance is sufficiently good to place the player's performance among a top predetermined n ranked player performances of the skill-influenced and wager-based game. An electronic message may then be periodically generated to at least some of the players on the leaderboard via their respective apps, informing them at least of a current state of the leaderboard. After a period of time, a prize may be awarded to at least some of the players whose identifiers currently appear on the leaderboard in the app.

1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 providing a wager-based electronic gaming device (EGD), the EGD comprising at least one processor, a display, an input interface and a money acceptor, the at least one processor being configured to execute a skill-influenced and wager-based game on the EGD and:   for each of a plurality of players of the skill-influenced and wager-based game, performing:
 accepting money from the player via the money acceptor and establishing an account balance using the received money; 
 enabling game play and wagers in the skill-influenced and wager-based game using the account balance, the display and the input interface and scoring a performance of the player at an end of the skill-influenced and wager-based game; 
 enabling an update of a leaderboard on an app on an electronic device of the player with an identifier of the player when the scored player's performance is sufficiently good to place the player's performance among a top predetermined n ranked player performances of the skill-influenced and wager-based game; 
   periodically causing an electronic message to be generated to at least some of the players on the leaderboard via their respective apps, informing them at least of a current state of the leaderboard; and   after a period of time, awarding a prize to at least some of the players whose identifiers currently appear on the leaderboard in the app.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein enabling the update comprises:
 generating and providing to the player a unique code associated with the player; and   enabling the player to input the generated unique code in the app on the player's electronic device.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein awarding further comprises awarding a separate prize to each player whose identifier currently appears on the leaderboard in the app. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein the prize awarded to a player whose identifier appears higher on the leaderboard in the app is higher than the prize awarded to a player whose identifier appears comparatively lower on the leaderboard in the app. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein each separate prize is predetermined. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein each separate prize is progressive. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising issuing a predetermined number of unique electronic tickets to each player whose identifier appears on the leaderboard in the app such that higher-ranking players on the leaderboard are issued a greater number of unique electronic tickets than comparatively lower-ranking players, and
 wherein awarding comprises drawing one unique electronic ticket for each position on the leaderboard and awarding a prize pool to a player whose unique electronic ticket was drawn.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the skill-influenced and wager-based game is a level-based game in which a predetermined number of indicia may be earned in each level and wherein awarding further comprises awarding, to each player, a unique electronic ticket for each earned indicia, and
 wherein awarding comprises drawing one unique electronic ticket for each position on the leaderboard and awarding a prize pool to a player whose unique electronic ticket was drawn.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the prizes awarded to at least some of the players whose identifiers currently appear on the leaderboard are accounted for in a predetermined Return To player (RTP) of the skill-influenced and wager-based game. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the prizes awarded to at least some of the players whose identifiers currently appear on the leaderboard are separate from and in addition to any awards accounted for by a predetermined Return To player (RTP) of the skill-influenced and wager-based game. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the prizes awarded to at least some of the players whose identifiers currently appear on the leaderboard comprise money. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the prizes awarded to at least some of the players whose identifiers currently appear on the leaderboard comprise non-monetary value. 
     
     
         13 . An electronic, wager-based gaming device, comprising:
 a memory;   at least one processor;   a display;   an input interface; and   a plurality of processes spawned by the processor, the plurality of processes comprising processing logic stored in the memory and configured to, for each of a plurality of players of the skill-influenced and wager-based game:
 accept money from the player via the money acceptor and establish an account balance using the received money; 
 enable game play and wagers in a skill-influenced and wager-based game using the account balance, the display and the input interface and scoring a performance of the player at an end of the skill-influenced and wager-based game; 
 enable an update of a leaderboard on an app on an electronic device of the player with an identifier of the player when the scored player's performance is sufficiently good to place the player's performance among a top predetermined n ranked player performances of the skill-influenced and wager-based game; 
   periodically cause an electronic message to be generated to at least some of the players on the leaderboard via their respective apps, informing them at least of a current state of the leaderboard; and   after a period of time, award a prize to at least some of the players whose identifiers currently appear on the leaderboard in the app.   
     
     
         14 . The electronic, wager-based gaming device of  claim 13 , wherein the processing logic for enabling the update comprises processing logic to generate and provide to the player a unique code associated with the player, so as to enable the player to input the generated unique code in the app on the player's electronic device. 
     
     
         15 . The electronic, wager-based gaming device of  claim 13 , wherein the processing logic for awarding further comprises processing logic to award a separate prize to each player whose identifier currently appears on the leaderboard in the app. 
     
     
         16 . The electronic, wager-based gaming device of  claim 13 , wherein the prize awarded to a player whose identifier appears higher on the leaderboard in the app is higher than the prize awarded to a player whose identifier appears comparatively lower on the leaderboard in the app. 
     
     
         17 . The electronic, wager-based gaming device of  claim 15 , wherein each separate prize is predetermined. 
     
     
         18 . The electronic, wager-based gaming device of  claim 15 , wherein each separate prize is progressive. 
     
     
         19 . The electronic, wager-based gaming device of  claim 13 , further comprising processing logic to:
 issue a predetermined number of unique electronic tickets to each player whose identifier appears on the leaderboard in the app such that higher-ranking players on the leaderboard are issued a greater number of unique electronic tickets than comparatively lower-ranking players, and   draw one unique electronic ticket for each position on the leaderboard and award a prize pool to a player whose unique electronic ticket was drawn.   
     
     
         20 . The electronic, wager-based gaming device of  claim 13 , wherein the skill-influenced and wager-based game is a level-based game in which a predetermined number of indicia may be earned in each level and wherein the processing logic for awarding further comprises processing logic to:
 award, to each player, a unique electronic ticket for each earned indicia, and   draw one unique electronic ticket for each position on the leaderboard and award a prize pool to a player whose unique electronic ticket was drawn.   
     
     
         21 . The electronic, wager-based gaming device of  claim 13 , wherein the prizes awarded to at least some of the players whose identifiers currently appear on the leaderboard are accounted for in a predetermined Return To player (RTP) of the skill-influenced and wager-based game. 
     
     
         22 . The electronic, wager-based gaming device of  claim 13 , wherein the prizes awarded to at least some of the players whose identifiers currently appear on the leaderboard are separate from and in addition to any awards accounted for by a predetermined Return To player (RTP) of the skill-influenced and wager-based game. 
     
     
         23 . The electronic, wager-based gaming device of  claim 13 , wherein the prizes awarded to at least some of the players whose identifiers currently appear on the leaderboard comprise money. 
     
     
         24 . The electronic, wager-based gaming device of  claim 13 , wherein the prizes awarded to at least some of the players whose identifiers currently appear on the leaderboard comprise non-monetary value.